Willow Smith has rejected the notion that her parents are the only reason she’s managed to find success in her career.
Smith, 23, is best known for her music career, releasing a total of six solo studio albums as well one collaborative studio album over the span of her career.
The star first stepped onto the scene with ‘Whip My Hair’ which was released back in 2010 and earned her the number 11 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Since then she’s gone from strength to strength, releasing other popular tracks such as ‘Wait a Minute!’ and ‘Meet Me At Our Spot.’
Not only that, but she has also dabbled in the modeling industry, posing for brands like Chanel and Marc Jacobs and also appearing on popular fashion outlets Harper’s Bazaar.
So it’s safe to say that Smith has really built herself a successful career.
But – and there’s a big ‘but’ – we must also remember that she’s also the daughter of Will and Jada Smith, both of whom have massive careers in the entertainment industry themselves so while they may not have guaranteed her success, they did definitely open doors for her.
In a new interview with Allure, the singer opened up about it all including what it’s like to be a “nepo baby.”
“I definitely think that a little bit of insecurity has driven me harder because people do think that the only reason I’m successful is because of my parents,” she said in her interview. “That has driven me to work really hard to try to prove them wrong. But nowadays, I don’t need to prove s*** to anybody.”
However, the star admitted that despite her insecurities, she still would have been who she is today regardless of who her parents were.
“I truly believe that my spirit is a strong spirit and that, even if my parents weren’t who they were, I would still be a weirdo and a crazy thinker,” she said.
Elsewhere she said that the nepo baby mold is difficult to fulfil when you’re a Black woman in America with Black parents.
“There have been some experiences where I went into a place that I have worked in the past and my picture could even be up on the wall, and they treat me like, ‘This is a little bit out of your price range’ or ‘You don’t really belong here,’ ” she told the outlet.
“Being Black in America, even with privilege, which I’m never going to deny that I have, you’re still Black. And I love being Black. People would look at me and [say], ‘Okay, well, her parents are this and this and that, but she still is like me. She still has brown skin””, she said before adding: “And we all know that that doesn’t exempt you from anything, and that’s a place of connection.”